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Medievalmaniac

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  1. Like
    Medievalmaniac got a reaction from zphil22 in SOP mistakes: what to avoid   
    I'm starting this thread as a chance to help others learn from my mistake(s), and I hope others will be generous with their lessons learned as well.

    I JUST thought to look at my transcripts, and realized that two of the classes in which I did the most work in my area of study do not reflect that on the transcript!! They just say "ENGL _____, Literature and Culture" and ENGL ____, British Literature. I didn't even think to talk about the work I did in these classes in my SOP, I focused on my thesis, my conference activity, and what I want to do for my dissertation -so, while I'm sure my professor's letter of recommendation discusses it to some degree, essentially I applied for medieval literature with only one course actually labeled as such on my transcript. My SOP focused very heavily on what I wanted to do in a doctoral program, while (now I see very clearly) only nominally, superficially, expressing why I was qualified to do it. WOW. No WONDER some of the programs I applied to didn't even consider me as a serious applicant!!

    So - from my experience, check what your transcript says about the classes you took/the titles they are filed under, and make sure you discuss in detail for about a paragraph the pertinent coursework you did - texts read, etc. etc.

    And boy, do I feel dumb!! But at least now I can see where to go in my next round of apps!!

    Anyone else got some good, specific pointers?
  2. Like
    Medievalmaniac got a reaction from sacrover in SOP mistakes: what to avoid   
    I'm starting this thread as a chance to help others learn from my mistake(s), and I hope others will be generous with their lessons learned as well.

    I JUST thought to look at my transcripts, and realized that two of the classes in which I did the most work in my area of study do not reflect that on the transcript!! They just say "ENGL _____, Literature and Culture" and ENGL ____, British Literature. I didn't even think to talk about the work I did in these classes in my SOP, I focused on my thesis, my conference activity, and what I want to do for my dissertation -so, while I'm sure my professor's letter of recommendation discusses it to some degree, essentially I applied for medieval literature with only one course actually labeled as such on my transcript. My SOP focused very heavily on what I wanted to do in a doctoral program, while (now I see very clearly) only nominally, superficially, expressing why I was qualified to do it. WOW. No WONDER some of the programs I applied to didn't even consider me as a serious applicant!!

    So - from my experience, check what your transcript says about the classes you took/the titles they are filed under, and make sure you discuss in detail for about a paragraph the pertinent coursework you did - texts read, etc. etc.

    And boy, do I feel dumb!! But at least now I can see where to go in my next round of apps!!

    Anyone else got some good, specific pointers?
  3. Upvote
    Medievalmaniac got a reaction from Saurabh Goel in SOP mistakes: what to avoid   
    I'm starting this thread as a chance to help others learn from my mistake(s), and I hope others will be generous with their lessons learned as well.

    I JUST thought to look at my transcripts, and realized that two of the classes in which I did the most work in my area of study do not reflect that on the transcript!! They just say "ENGL _____, Literature and Culture" and ENGL ____, British Literature. I didn't even think to talk about the work I did in these classes in my SOP, I focused on my thesis, my conference activity, and what I want to do for my dissertation -so, while I'm sure my professor's letter of recommendation discusses it to some degree, essentially I applied for medieval literature with only one course actually labeled as such on my transcript. My SOP focused very heavily on what I wanted to do in a doctoral program, while (now I see very clearly) only nominally, superficially, expressing why I was qualified to do it. WOW. No WONDER some of the programs I applied to didn't even consider me as a serious applicant!!

    So - from my experience, check what your transcript says about the classes you took/the titles they are filed under, and make sure you discuss in detail for about a paragraph the pertinent coursework you did - texts read, etc. etc.

    And boy, do I feel dumb!! But at least now I can see where to go in my next round of apps!!

    Anyone else got some good, specific pointers?
  4. Upvote
    Medievalmaniac got a reaction from Quant_Liz_Lemon in Pre-application interviews   
    A lot of people recommend not contacting professors ahead of applying. The argument is that it seems like sucking up, or like you expect them to drop everything and cater to you and you are not even in their program yet, i.e. they are too busy to meet with prospective candidates at all but the smallest departments. I disagree with this, and am glad you are taking a proactive approach.

    In my opinion, based on my experiences applying to programs, on talking with professors at multiple programs and especially at conferences, and my discussions with fellow graduate students, a lot of unnecessary stress, misery and dissatisfaction (and wasted money on transcripts and application fees) can be prevented with a simply inquiry to the persons of interest prior to application.

    Any good professor, or good department, will be willing to accommodate reasonable requests for information. They are, ultimately, looking for the next round of cohorts in their program, and they want the best candidates they can get. This means they should be willing to look at the work of prospective students and to have the chance to evaluate them ahead of the game. They are under no obligation to give an interview, to have a face-to-face meeting, or to promise you they want you if you apply. But answering some well-chosen questions concerning the department, their own expectations, and where they are in their careers is not (or should not be) a major hardship or extra burden, and anyone who feels you are out of line contacting him or her before applying to a program seems (again, in my opinion) to be somewhat arrogant.

    For the applicant - if you are researching programs online, and the faculty page lists research interests, but was last updated 8 years ago, or even 3 years ago - how can we know what the professor is currently working on without contacting him or her? I tend to cyber-stalk people I want to work with, checking through Amazon and Academia.edu to see if they have anything new out, and scanning conference proceedings. But you can't do that for every professor in every program you are interested in as an applicant. An email to a professor stating "I understand that your past research has included x,y, and z, which complements the work I do in a,b and c; can you tell me if you are still working in this area?" is acceptable. Another set of issues are those of tenure, and of retirement. It's not going to do you any good to apply to Big University to work in Bioethics if none of their Bioethics professors is a tenured faculty member - what are you going to do if your advisor ends up leaving the program before you finish? Or, what good is it to apply to Top Ten School to work with Professor I'm-the-Bomb, if she's not taking on any more graduate students because she's retiring? Ditto the professor who already has a full slate of cohorts and isn't taking on new graduate students now. It's a good idea to check with the professors you want to work with to see if they are able to acommodate you - and I think it is also a courtesy so to do. You respect the professor and admire his or her work, and you don't want to waste his/her the department's time applying if that's the main reason for your choice. Why is that bad? I think it is professional, and shows that you are a respectful individual who understands the academic world.

    I think appropriate, pre-appplication contact includes a brief introduction (like a sentence or two) of you and what you are interested in, two or three focused questions about the professor and/or program (E.g. Are you still working in the psychological profiling of individuals whose record includes repeat offenses of petty larcency? And are you currently taking on graduate advisees to your project?), and a polite "thank you for any information you are able to provide me with to help me narrow down my choices in this matter" closing. Obviously, you shouldn't send them emails rambling on and on about why you are applying and why you think they should accept you and asking very general questions you can find the answers to elsewhere on the website. But if you have questions only the professor or someone in the department can answer, it's better to ask than to get accepted, go, and be disappointed in your choice.

    This is, quite simply, your future on the line. You have the right to have the information you need to make an informed decision about it.
  5. Upvote
    Medievalmaniac got a reaction from kerzyb in Dressing the Part . . . for Girls!   
    I dress simply, and for comfort and enjoyment. My personal style is "boho", I guess, if you had to term it as something - a lot of long flowy skirts, which I pair with simple colored tops, tunics, and sweaters; linen pants with peasant woven tops; maxi dresses worn with sweaters; tweed skirts and sweaters with boots in the winter; accessories are scarves, necklaces, earrings, occasionally rings, and hairsticks/other hairtoys (( have very long hair, which I always wear in an updo for work/school). I get complimented often on my appearance when I go to conferences, and have never had anyone say I look unprofessional - but at the same time, I am not and never have been a slacks and blazer or suit or business casual kind of gal, and I think dressing in a way that doesn't represent you makes you feel uncomfortable and fraudulent. You need to find a style that works with your view of who you are both as a student and as a person and, ultimately, as a professional teacher, if that's where you are going. It takes time, trial and error to cultivate a look that works for you across the board, but when you do figure it out, it gets very easy to maintain.
  6. Upvote
    Medievalmaniac got a reaction from BruisedHibiscus in Summer Reading List (for Incoming Fall Ph.D. Students)   
    Yeah... because no one could figure out how to do it! lol
  7. Upvote
    Medievalmaniac reacted to marlowe in Summer Reading List (for Incoming Fall Ph.D. Students)   
    Jesus. I don't do anything, and I barely feel like I have time to read.

    But hey, I'll be at Leeds!
  8. Upvote
    Medievalmaniac reacted to NowMoreSerious in Summer Reading List (for Incoming Fall Ph.D. Students)   
    Yes, which makes me admire those who have "ridden the wave" and ignored it for the past 40+ years. They won. They eventually won. Now there are new better things for them to ignore.
  9. Upvote
  10. Upvote
    Medievalmaniac got a reaction from wheatGrass in Dressing the Part . . . for Girls!   
    I dress simply, and for comfort and enjoyment. My personal style is "boho", I guess, if you had to term it as something - a lot of long flowy skirts, which I pair with simple colored tops, tunics, and sweaters; linen pants with peasant woven tops; maxi dresses worn with sweaters; tweed skirts and sweaters with boots in the winter; accessories are scarves, necklaces, earrings, occasionally rings, and hairsticks/other hairtoys (( have very long hair, which I always wear in an updo for work/school). I get complimented often on my appearance when I go to conferences, and have never had anyone say I look unprofessional - but at the same time, I am not and never have been a slacks and blazer or suit or business casual kind of gal, and I think dressing in a way that doesn't represent you makes you feel uncomfortable and fraudulent. You need to find a style that works with your view of who you are both as a student and as a person and, ultimately, as a professional teacher, if that's where you are going. It takes time, trial and error to cultivate a look that works for you across the board, but when you do figure it out, it gets very easy to maintain.
  11. Upvote
    Medievalmaniac got a reaction from Jenn M. in SOP mistakes: what to avoid   
    I'm starting this thread as a chance to help others learn from my mistake(s), and I hope others will be generous with their lessons learned as well.

    I JUST thought to look at my transcripts, and realized that two of the classes in which I did the most work in my area of study do not reflect that on the transcript!! They just say "ENGL _____, Literature and Culture" and ENGL ____, British Literature. I didn't even think to talk about the work I did in these classes in my SOP, I focused on my thesis, my conference activity, and what I want to do for my dissertation -so, while I'm sure my professor's letter of recommendation discusses it to some degree, essentially I applied for medieval literature with only one course actually labeled as such on my transcript. My SOP focused very heavily on what I wanted to do in a doctoral program, while (now I see very clearly) only nominally, superficially, expressing why I was qualified to do it. WOW. No WONDER some of the programs I applied to didn't even consider me as a serious applicant!!

    So - from my experience, check what your transcript says about the classes you took/the titles they are filed under, and make sure you discuss in detail for about a paragraph the pertinent coursework you did - texts read, etc. etc.

    And boy, do I feel dumb!! But at least now I can see where to go in my next round of apps!!

    Anyone else got some good, specific pointers?
  12. Downvote
    Medievalmaniac got a reaction from saturation in Colleges Rescind Acceptance Offers   
    Dear SuperPiePie....I hope you won't mind, but I just need to...well, I need to help you out, here. I hope you won't mind. See below.

    There are more spots but there are also more of us. Our departments are massive[,] yes, but the amount NUMBER of people trying to get in is ridiculous(,) as well. You have to realize [that] some people in basic sciences and m(M)ath are trying to get into the same engineering programs as well.

    As for training people from other nations[This is a fragment; make certain your statements are phrased in complete sentences]. Although graduate schools give citizens [of what country? Ambiguous; consider revising for clarity] priority, qualified people from other countries are welcome. Many countries have very strong engineering and math because a lot of this is universal around the world[This statement negates your original premise; if many countries around the world have very strong engineering and Math programs then why is that a justification for U.S. graduate programs giving numerous spots to people from other countries? Also, "a lot of this is universal to the world" is a deeply general and ambiguous statement. Be specific - a lot of WHAT is universal, to whom, specifically?]. I know that in certain humanities[programs] it [ "it" here is an ambiguous modifier - do you mean the department, or the graduate student population within the department? Make certain your meaning is clear] is not as diverse as far as international students. Many of the people trained from different countries like to stay here at[to?] work.[consider using a semi-colon here to create a more unified statement; also, how is this statement relevant to your argument that humanities programs don't fund as many international students? You need to make certain your argument is organized logically.] My father is an example. The pay here is better and there are more opportunities. Furthermore, the research done by these qualified international students is beneficial to the school and department. The money is given to help those individuals who show a desire to pursue a degree in applied sciences. I don't see why we discriminate[against...? You need to make certain each statement is a finished one.].

    Doggone it...where were your English teachers when you needed them? This statement could have been so much more persuasive than it currently is, if only you had known tha (and I am only going to enumerate the glaring errors, for want of time):

    1. You use the word "number" rather than "amount" for anything that can be counted; amount is for things that can be measured but not individually counted.
    2. Every statement in English needs to have a subject and predicate. In "As for training people from other nations" you need to have a subject clause; this could be remedied simply either by your phrasing it as a question - "As for training people from other nations?" or by inserting a subject clause into the statement - "As for YOUR COMMENT concerning training people from other nations..." although, "as to" would be better; but really this would be best handled by combining this statement with the statement following it with either a colon or a dash.
    3. Math, as a discipline, is always capitalized; ditto for History, English, and so forth.
    4. A good argument is logically and clearly organized, rather than doubling back on itself.
    5. It is important to use specific modifying words and phrases in order to avoid ambiguity and fuzzy meaning in your statements. Expressions like "I know in many humanities it is not as diverse as far as international students" are weak because that "it" could be modifying either the department(s) or the students being named. A little sentence organization goes a long way towards clarifying and strengthening your argument.
  13. Downvote
    Medievalmaniac got a reaction from saturation in Colleges Rescind Acceptance Offers   
    Also, Superpiepie, to counter your arguments about the legitimacy and importance of literary studies....

    In Western Europe in the heavily-Christianized medieval era, any and all texts from the Classical world dealing with aspects of Classical (pagan) religions were considered unfit and destroyed. It wasn't until after the Crusades, and the sacking of major cities and libraries in the East, that manuscripts heavily encrusted with jewels and gold leaf were brought back to the Western world. They were stolen and brought to Europe for their physical worth, but scholars translating the texts into Latin and, ultimately, into English, realized that these were Arabic translations of ancient Greek texts by philosophers that had long since disappeared from the Western world - Aristotle, and Plato, chief among them.

    Had it not been for these scholars and their translation and transmission efforts, we would not have our current Democratic government in America, because no one would have heard of the democratic principles espoused by the Greek writers.

    Also, in the medieval period, anyone who wasn't trained in a University as a doctor was not allowed to practice medicine - this despite the fact that midwives and village wise men knew vast amounts of information about the medicinal properties of native plants. Women who practiced traditional folk remedies were labeled as witches. Yet, today, doctors trained at places such as those you have listed in your signature, themselves, tout the effectiveness of natural medicine and "alternative medical approaches" and they're working on legalizing Marijuana for medicinal use. Why? Because despite all our best efforts in technological advancements as regards pharmaceuticals, ultimately most of the medicines on the market are derived from the knowledge of plant properties. And that knowledge was begun, expanded, and passed down in books that were written in Latin, in Chinese, in languages other than English, hundreds of years ago, and translated to English by people working in literary studies and trying to preserve the rapidly-disappearing knowledge of earlier peoples as regards the health benefits of plants and minerals.

    I reiterate: without the (usually English and Comp. Lit.) people who do this sort of work, advancements in other fields just don't happen.
  14. Upvote
    Medievalmaniac got a reaction from JeremiahParadise in Publication question   
    R&R is great! Well done. But, make sure you DO R&R - try to get it turned around within 3-4 weeks. firstly, because it ensures you don't set it aside and then forget to do it, secondly, because their comments and your work on it is still fresh in your mind, and thirdly because it demonstrates your professionalism - they will remember that if you submit in future even if this article ultimately ends up rejected.

    For your first question, it's usually a good idea to wait between 2-3 months before inquiring about an article's status at most journals, because as others have said the peer-reviewed ones do take some time, and some peers are more punctual than others in their reviewing.
  15. Upvote
    Medievalmaniac reacted to paraplu in "Be Sure Before You Go"   
    This idiom is frequently leveled at prospective graduate students to warn them of the challenges that await should they pursue a graduate degree; or, worse, as an admonition against those graduate students who are currently unhappy in their programs. I want to try to unpack the meaning of this statement, and what it means for those of us who, despite meticulous preparation, find themselves in a situation much different than anticipated, and are perhaps questioning their commitment to graduate school.

    Be sure before you go to graduate school. As I find myself deeply unhappy as a first semester PhD student, I look back on the number of times I interrogated my certainty in the three years between getting my Bachelor's and entering grad school. I emailed each of my prospective advisors; if I didn't meet with them in person, I spoke with them on the phone. I talked to their students, often at length and having frank and open discussions. I visited the campuses, toured the cities, of my top three choices. During those three years of careful plodding, and especially during the frenzied application cycle, I had painstakingly long discussions with my undergraduate mentors where I made no attempt to hide my neuroses, fears, and anxieties about graduate school. Indeed, I entered my top-choice program with a fully funded offer confident I had done everything I could to know what I was getting myself in to.

    But somehow the logic of that other common idiom -- "you never know until you try" -- escapes the ethos of graduate school. We are told we cannot, should not, enter into it lightly. I did not apply on a whim, upset with the economy, etc. I developed this plan carefully, and it took me three full years to execute. In the interim I had satisfying work, traveled extensively, and suffered the loss of a close family member. I had moments of agonizing doubt. My devotion was not blind. Indeed, each of these circumstances forced me to be all the more thoughtful about making a long term commitment that would move me further away from my family and friends at a very sensitive time. Yet there are so very many aspects of graduate student life that I simply could not have known had I never made it this far. And make no mistake, there is an acute difference between reading about the challenges of grad school and experiencing them for oneself. I think it's counterproductive to tell anyone on this forum or elsewhere who is experiencing doubts, "well, didn't you know? Didn't you do your research?" Of course they did. Most of us are entering research-intensive programs. Of course we did our research.

    There is a certain impossibility of "being sure before you go." While I do encourage all prospective graduate students to learn as much as they possibly can before committing, who amongst us can claim that they really truly knew the intensity of the loneliness, the depth of internal doubt, the purgatory of unstructured time? (And I worked from home for two years, so structuring one's time should come easy, right?) A person with a goal will rationalize these things away -- I spend lots of time alone, and much prefer quiet days and nights to socializing; and I'm already insecure to a fault. But these are not the reasons why I want to leave my program. Nor do the particularities of my program contribute to my discontent -- in fact, the place is great, and the people are wonderful, and the city is spectacular. Perhaps many amongst you will be incredulous when I say this, but what I found when I got here is that I simply do not want this life.

    My intent here is manifold. It seems that many people are blamed for their lack of foresight if they express doubt about being in grad school. I want to express my solidarity with those people who felt they were extremely calculating in their plans and preparations. I also want to suggest that, yes, graduate school is a serious thing. But the pedestal it's put on contributes to unrealistic expectations. If someone wanted to quit their job -- a job they earned by having a particular education or level of hard-earned experience -- would you say to that person: "but they're paying you a salary! Think of all the resources they wasted on you!" Would you hang the threat of tarnished reputations over their head -- not only their own, but their references? Somehow, this sounds ridiculous when applied to a member of the working world, yet draws no suspicion when directed at a grad student. I think this is an ideal we impose on graduate school more than it is the reality of things. While I am taken aback by many things in graduate school, one amongst them is how reasonable my professors and colleagues are. As people who value intelligence and thoughtfulness, I think there must be a way to bow out with the same graces that got you there in the first place.
  16. Upvote
    Medievalmaniac got a reaction from JeremiahParadise in Any other fourth-timers out there?   
    I think you ought to re-apply to the school the waitlisted you and told you "any other year...", especially when they made it a point to tell you you had champions in their department. I know if it were me, I would certainly re-apply to that department.
  17. Upvote
    Medievalmaniac reacted to perrykm2 in 0% Confidence of Acceptance   
    Have a drink, eat a cupcake, go see The Muppets.



    This is a proven success.
  18. Upvote
    Medievalmaniac got a reaction from Sigaba in SOP & Academic Rock Stars   
    "For example, I obviously do not think Spivak and Butler are going to be sitting on my dissertation committee, but their presence at Columbia speaks to why I want to go there. They are both hugely informative in my research, so it seems silly to pretend they are not there, but I cannot figure out how to mention them without sounding like a moron. Any ideas?"

    I think a simple statement of, "the presence of scholars such as x.y. and z, whose work speaks to what I am doing _______________, is a central reason for my application to this program" would suffice. Make it about you, more than about them. WHY are they a big draw for you? What about their work, specifically, speaks to your desire to work with them - a specific book or article? A class they teach? The specific comment will enhance your application; if you just mention them generally, might as well leave it out.

    Also, re: rock stars and dissertations - after a decade of teaching, three year in graduate school and six years on the conference circuit talking to many of the "rock stars" and also many fine, "lesser" professors, one thing I have found to be true is, everyone is an individual, and while some rock stars cannot be bothered with anything so humdrum as advising dissertations and many rock stars however well-intentioned are too busy to really devote time and energy to their graduate students, many others consider the training of the next generation to be their most important responsibility and devote a vast amount of time to the task. And, based on my conversations with several and with their grad students, you would be very surprised at how many of the biggest names and oldest still-serving professors fall under the latter category. Best simply to take a course with the POI and evaluate that for yourself once you are in a program, in my opinion.
  19. Upvote
    Medievalmaniac reacted to Karajan in Publication question   
    I got R&R.
  20. Upvote
    Medievalmaniac got a reaction from anthropy in Things not to say to someone who has just been rejected by their dream school   
    The two I hate the most from anyone, anytime are :

    "Don't worry, you'll get in somewhere"

    and

    "I know how you feel".

    In fact, I recommend we strike "I know how you feel" from ANY conversation, ever, about anything. What a dumb thing to say, when there is no way you can possibly know how another person feels. Something like, "I know how that feels" or "I can imagine that feels..." followed by a pertinent life-experience in similar vein MIGHT fly, but then again - if I'm wallowing, it's my turn to wallow, I am soooo not interested in your pity party at that point.

    The most helpful and/or appreciated comments I have received in this situation are

    "I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do to help you out?"

    and my very favorite, ever:

    "Those a**holes. How dare they reject you! Who the hell are they accepting, then? F**k them."

    I actually laughed...and that came from a tenured prof who wrote a rec for me in a prior application cycle, lolol.
  21. Upvote
    Medievalmaniac got a reaction from gellert in Pre-application interviews   
    A lot of people recommend not contacting professors ahead of applying. The argument is that it seems like sucking up, or like you expect them to drop everything and cater to you and you are not even in their program yet, i.e. they are too busy to meet with prospective candidates at all but the smallest departments. I disagree with this, and am glad you are taking a proactive approach.

    In my opinion, based on my experiences applying to programs, on talking with professors at multiple programs and especially at conferences, and my discussions with fellow graduate students, a lot of unnecessary stress, misery and dissatisfaction (and wasted money on transcripts and application fees) can be prevented with a simply inquiry to the persons of interest prior to application.

    Any good professor, or good department, will be willing to accommodate reasonable requests for information. They are, ultimately, looking for the next round of cohorts in their program, and they want the best candidates they can get. This means they should be willing to look at the work of prospective students and to have the chance to evaluate them ahead of the game. They are under no obligation to give an interview, to have a face-to-face meeting, or to promise you they want you if you apply. But answering some well-chosen questions concerning the department, their own expectations, and where they are in their careers is not (or should not be) a major hardship or extra burden, and anyone who feels you are out of line contacting him or her before applying to a program seems (again, in my opinion) to be somewhat arrogant.

    For the applicant - if you are researching programs online, and the faculty page lists research interests, but was last updated 8 years ago, or even 3 years ago - how can we know what the professor is currently working on without contacting him or her? I tend to cyber-stalk people I want to work with, checking through Amazon and Academia.edu to see if they have anything new out, and scanning conference proceedings. But you can't do that for every professor in every program you are interested in as an applicant. An email to a professor stating "I understand that your past research has included x,y, and z, which complements the work I do in a,b and c; can you tell me if you are still working in this area?" is acceptable. Another set of issues are those of tenure, and of retirement. It's not going to do you any good to apply to Big University to work in Bioethics if none of their Bioethics professors is a tenured faculty member - what are you going to do if your advisor ends up leaving the program before you finish? Or, what good is it to apply to Top Ten School to work with Professor I'm-the-Bomb, if she's not taking on any more graduate students because she's retiring? Ditto the professor who already has a full slate of cohorts and isn't taking on new graduate students now. It's a good idea to check with the professors you want to work with to see if they are able to acommodate you - and I think it is also a courtesy so to do. You respect the professor and admire his or her work, and you don't want to waste his/her the department's time applying if that's the main reason for your choice. Why is that bad? I think it is professional, and shows that you are a respectful individual who understands the academic world.

    I think appropriate, pre-appplication contact includes a brief introduction (like a sentence or two) of you and what you are interested in, two or three focused questions about the professor and/or program (E.g. Are you still working in the psychological profiling of individuals whose record includes repeat offenses of petty larcency? And are you currently taking on graduate advisees to your project?), and a polite "thank you for any information you are able to provide me with to help me narrow down my choices in this matter" closing. Obviously, you shouldn't send them emails rambling on and on about why you are applying and why you think they should accept you and asking very general questions you can find the answers to elsewhere on the website. But if you have questions only the professor or someone in the department can answer, it's better to ask than to get accepted, go, and be disappointed in your choice.

    This is, quite simply, your future on the line. You have the right to have the information you need to make an informed decision about it.
  22. Upvote
    Medievalmaniac got a reaction from Safferz in How Soon to Contact Potential Professors   
    I don't think it hurts to contact people in the prospective departments...I know that it saved me a few hundred dollars in application fees last go-round, because although the webpages of certain departments listed my interests as things being worked on, it turned out that they were no longer up to date and in some cases the professors were working on things utterly unrelated to what I wanted to focus on, despite what the website said...things change.

    In the interest of being helpful, here are (edited) versions of the two emails I send out - one is to current graduate students in the department, and one is to professors whose work aligns with my interests. I will say that overall, I get an amazing response to these, especially from the current graduate students (I change or alter them slightly for each department, but mainly they stay pretty close to what is here). A few people have written me several pages in response outlining everything they can think of to help me make my decision. A few even forwarded the email to other graduate students I did not know about who could help me further. Professors at some departments have also forwarded my email to other professors they thought I would like to hear from. There are a few short, curt responses ("only you can determine whether or not you think you would be a good fit here" etc. etc.) - but overwhelmingly, the answers have been helpful and detailed, refreshingly open and honest in terms of both praise and criticism of departments, and I have received answers from everybody I emailed at every department. So, this was a very rewarding approach for me.

    If you want to cut and paste from these letters or to use part or whole for your own purposes, please feel free to do so. As I said, I'm posting them in an effort to help others out who might be considering this route.

    Graduate Student email:

    Dear [current graduate student's name],



    I hope you won't mind the imposition, but I am considering [x,y,z university] as a possible location at which to complete my PhD(applying for Fall 2011), and I was hoping that I could get a first-hand perspective from some of the students in the program. For the purposes of clarification as to what I am looking for, I am a literature person; my primary subject area is Medieval, and my sub-areas of interest are Renaissance/Early Modern and Nineteenth century. I have researched the professors in the department insofar as these areas are concerned, and am quite heartened to find figures such as [professor brand name] there. But, of course, "who" I study with is only part of the equation, so I'm reaching out to current graduate students to attempt to ascertain whether the "what" matches with the "who" prior to applying.

    I am applying MA in hand, and am aware that many (most) of those credits will
    not confer to the degree at [university] - but I have discovered that this is the case
    pretty much anywhere, so as far as that goes, I'm prepared to do more
    coursework - besides, how can it be a bad thing to do more work on the subjects
    I love best with others who also love them? However, I want to make sure that
    this coursework is going to challenge me above and beyond what I have already
    done - so, my first question is, in your experience how strong is the teaching
    component of the program at [university]? How willing are the professors to work with
    individual students to develop their strengths and address their weaknesses in
    terms of subject matter? How open are the professors to helping you construct
    an independent line of research in conjunction with the coursework you are
    doing? How are the classes structured, and how much preparation have you found
    it to be necessary in order to succeed? Are there any classes and/or professors
    you would particularly recommend, or that stand out to you as being
    particularly excellent?

    Continuing with questions about the department itself - how would you classify
    the department overall? Do people seem to be collaborative, interested in
    working together, or is it primarily an individualistic program in which
    professors work within their own disciplines and rarely cross-research? Is
    there a particular pet methodology or critical school employed in the
    department? (For example, I know that at [close university in area], it's very
    centrally focused on [specific theoretical approach], which is not really my thing). What
    critical methods are employed most often in literature courses? How often are
    graduate students asked to work with professors on research projects? Are
    professors willing to read over and critique independent work completed by
    graduate students with an eye to publication and/or conferencing? Are graduate
    students encouraged to publish and conference? Are there ample options for
    teaching/lecturing available to students? How supported do you feel as a
    graduate student overall by the department? How supportive of one another do
    the graduate students tend to be?

    I am also applying with family in tow; do you know how the department views
    graduate students with children? Do they seem to be at a disadvantage in terms
    of resources or attention? Are there many graduate students in the department
    with children? Do graduate students with children successfully complete
    the program on a regular basis? Do you know what the attrition rate and the
    rate of successful placement is overall from [university]?

    I would be grateful for any information you could provide me with concerning
    any or all of the questions posed, and I assure you that anything you disclose
    to me will be confidential and not repeated; as I said, I'm just seeking to get
    a feel for what it would be like to work at [university], and the more honest
    the responses are, the better chance I have of getting a real idea of things.

    Thank you,



    Professor of Interest email:

    Dear [Dr.____________]

    I am researching options as concerns doctoral programs in English, with the intention to make application this coming fall, and find that [x,y,z university] seems potentially to be a good fit for my particular set of interests. I wonder if you could offer me some thoughts in terms of this?

    My primary area of interest is Medieval Literature, and my secondary areas are Renaissance (Early Modern) and the 19th Century. Specifically, within the medieval tradition I focus on Anglo-Saxon, Anglo-Norman (French of England) and Middle English literature. My overarching subject areas of interest are Arthuriana, outlaw literature, and Celtic/ Old Norse folkloric materials; my central thematic interests lie in concepts of identity (both individual and national), the supernatural/monsters/magic, violence, hagiography, particularly as regards women mystics, gender issues, and (predictably) chivalry and courtliness (especially the function of feasts in courtly narrative). I am deeply and profoundly obsessed with textual transmission and questions of textual and subject matter provenance. In the Early Modern period, I focus predominantly on Spenser and Sidney, and also work extensively with Shakespeare (who doesn't...? lol). In the 19th century, my interests lie specifically within the Gothic and Romantic traditions, and more specifically in terms of their appropriation of the medieval/ medievalism. I tend to take a predominantly New Historical approach to the texts, although I also work with feminist, linguistic/structuralist, myth and postcolonial theory.

    You could certainly classify me as obsessed with all things medieval. It would, however, be very difficult for me to list an area of literary studies in which I am not interested (I just picked up the zombie version of Pride and Prejudice, I teach Virginia Woolf and Rebecca Wells, I have taught Dave Eggers and Dom DeLillo, for example…!) So, I am a really flexible student in that regard; I know what I want to focus in, but I'm also open to other areas of study as well. As for my background: I earned a BA from [university] in [year] in French; I then taught for two years in public schools, and returned to complete graduate work in medieval and Renaissance studies at [university] in [year]. After a year at [university], I taught for several more years, and then completed my Master's degree at [university] last spring with a 4.0. My thesis was entitled: "King of the Who? The Collective Unconscious and the Crafting of National Identity in Medieval Arthurian Texts", and I took an experimental psychological approach to the material, focusing on Jungian theories of the collective unconscious and also working with Jung's ideas concerning alchemical transformations. This project is now being developed into a monograph in conjunction with [publishing house]. I currently teach literature and Art History at [private boarding school] where I write and develop my own courses - six courses a term, five terms a year (among my most recent courses are “Bad Boys in British Lit”, which focuses on the Robin Hood/outlaw tradition, “The Bible and Literature”, in which we focus on biblical passages and correlative literary allusions, and “Monsters and Violence in British Lit” in which I introduce my students to literary theory by using Jeffrey Jerome Cohen’s “Monster Culture: Seven Theses” as the cornerstone text and showing them how to apply it to the various works we read throughout the term). I have a number of publications in all three of my eras(mainly encyclopedic in nature), and have presented at several conferences, including [names of conferences].

    I must admit that location is a major factor in my decision, for family reasons - however, barring that, the [university] English department website list of publications and research interests seems to indicate that there are a lot of interesting and compelling overlaps between my interests and the work several faculty members (yourself included) are doing. Does this seem to be the case, in your opinion?

    I look forward to any insight you might be able to provide in this matter.

    Best,




    (I will add that the above email to professors garnered a lot of interest from 3 persons of interest, one of whom wants to meet me in person at my convenience - so including your specific areas of interest in detailed fashion does lengthen the email, but ultimately can be very helpful, in my experience.)




    hope this is helpful. I have in no cases found anyone to be annoyed or irritated at my contacting them - I think they'd rather you check and then apply knowing for certain it's what you want, especially at smaller departments. That's the impression I have been given, at any rate.

    also - in terms of finding graduate students to write to - many departments list their graduate students on the website, but you can also find some names by reading department newsletters, looking at the page for the graduate student association, and checking out the adjunct/lecturer faculty listings as well. Honestly, the grad students were incredibly great about giving me really detailed and honest feedback about the departments.

  23. Upvote
    Medievalmaniac got a reaction from bourbon in Things not to say to someone who has just been rejected by their dream school   
    The two I hate the most from anyone, anytime are :

    "Don't worry, you'll get in somewhere"

    and

    "I know how you feel".

    In fact, I recommend we strike "I know how you feel" from ANY conversation, ever, about anything. What a dumb thing to say, when there is no way you can possibly know how another person feels. Something like, "I know how that feels" or "I can imagine that feels..." followed by a pertinent life-experience in similar vein MIGHT fly, but then again - if I'm wallowing, it's my turn to wallow, I am soooo not interested in your pity party at that point.

    The most helpful and/or appreciated comments I have received in this situation are

    "I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do to help you out?"

    and my very favorite, ever:

    "Those a**holes. How dare they reject you! Who the hell are they accepting, then? F**k them."

    I actually laughed...and that came from a tenured prof who wrote a rec for me in a prior application cycle, lolol.
  24. Upvote
    Medievalmaniac got a reaction from sooheen in SOP mistakes: what to avoid   
    I'm starting this thread as a chance to help others learn from my mistake(s), and I hope others will be generous with their lessons learned as well.

    I JUST thought to look at my transcripts, and realized that two of the classes in which I did the most work in my area of study do not reflect that on the transcript!! They just say "ENGL _____, Literature and Culture" and ENGL ____, British Literature. I didn't even think to talk about the work I did in these classes in my SOP, I focused on my thesis, my conference activity, and what I want to do for my dissertation -so, while I'm sure my professor's letter of recommendation discusses it to some degree, essentially I applied for medieval literature with only one course actually labeled as such on my transcript. My SOP focused very heavily on what I wanted to do in a doctoral program, while (now I see very clearly) only nominally, superficially, expressing why I was qualified to do it. WOW. No WONDER some of the programs I applied to didn't even consider me as a serious applicant!!

    So - from my experience, check what your transcript says about the classes you took/the titles they are filed under, and make sure you discuss in detail for about a paragraph the pertinent coursework you did - texts read, etc. etc.

    And boy, do I feel dumb!! But at least now I can see where to go in my next round of apps!!

    Anyone else got some good, specific pointers?
  25. Upvote
    Medievalmaniac got a reaction from IRdreams in Things not to say to someone who has just been rejected by their dream school   
    The two I hate the most from anyone, anytime are :

    "Don't worry, you'll get in somewhere"

    and

    "I know how you feel".

    In fact, I recommend we strike "I know how you feel" from ANY conversation, ever, about anything. What a dumb thing to say, when there is no way you can possibly know how another person feels. Something like, "I know how that feels" or "I can imagine that feels..." followed by a pertinent life-experience in similar vein MIGHT fly, but then again - if I'm wallowing, it's my turn to wallow, I am soooo not interested in your pity party at that point.

    The most helpful and/or appreciated comments I have received in this situation are

    "I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do to help you out?"

    and my very favorite, ever:

    "Those a**holes. How dare they reject you! Who the hell are they accepting, then? F**k them."

    I actually laughed...and that came from a tenured prof who wrote a rec for me in a prior application cycle, lolol.
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